Nursing Grants – Nursing School Grants

Archive for the ‘Women Grants’ Category

Nursing Grants – Nursing School Grants

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

Due to scientific advances in health and medicine, the life expectancy of the average American has increased considerably from a low of 49 between 1900 and 1910 to a high of 78.32 in 2011.

While this is good news in general, there’s a corresponding increase in responsibility on the part of everyone to ensure the quality of life of those who have surpassed their productive years through better health care facilities and services. Increased life expectancy should mean more and better healthcare facilities and workers, like nurses, to attend to the needs of the elderly and the sick.

Faced with a steadily growing number of senior citizens in its midst, the government has tried to address the issue by relaxing its rules on immigration to lure in more qualified nurses from other countries, but this appears to be a quick-fix solution to the real problem of inadequate nurses.

According to a report dated April 1, 2011 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the healthcare industry continues to grow despite high percentages of job losses in almost all key industries in recent months. This is because more people are getting older and they need nurses to help them.

Many healthcare facilities created over 35,000 new jobs in the first quarter of 2011. The BLS also confirmed the addition of 283,000 new healthcare-related jobs in 2010. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has sounded the alarm over the frightening shortage of qualified nurses and is closely working with nursing schools, legislators, and the media to address the issue.

Unfortunately, the alarm appears to have been largely ignored by millions of high school graduates across the country. The AACN reported a measly 5.7% increase in enrollment in 2010, which is far from ideal to cover the projected demand for nurses in the coming years.

The passage of the Patient Protect and Affordable Care Act in 2010 translates to have more than 32 million Americans gaining access to healthcare services, including those provided by registered nurses. Unfortunately, there are not enough qualified nurses available to implement the law anytime soon.

Demanding Profession

Nursing is decidedly a noble profession, but it often requires rigorous work and long hours. Student nurses are subjected to exact and extensive training in laboratory settings and have to spend more for tuition and laboratory fees on top of other school expenses to cover their needs.

As a response to the shortage of registered nurses and the high cost of training them, both federal and local governments offer grants and scholarships as incentives to encourage students to choose this profession. Grants are useful in providing a means for more students to obtain the quality of education required to succeed in this occupation.

Federal Grants for Nursing Students

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers two major nursing grants – the Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students and the Nursing Scholarship Program.

Scholarships for disadvantaged nursing school students are intended for full-time students with demonstrated financial need and with expressed desire to pursue health sciences-related degrees, including nursing.

Students interested in this program can secure the specific application requirements from the nursing school of their choice. Successful applicants will be chosen primarily based on their financial need and their capability to finish the course.

Another nursing grant available from the federal government is the nursing school scholarship program, with over 200 scholarships awarded annually. Unlike the scholarships for disadvantaged nursing school students, the nursing scholarship program is primarily merit-based. Students availing of this full scholarship are required to work for at least two years in a priority nursing facility.

State Funded Grants

Nursing is a high priority profession all over the United States. At least, 38 states are offering some form of grant program for nursing students, with the states of Florida and North Carolina topping the list of the most aggressive thus far.

Some counties, towns, and cities within some states have their own version of nursing grants to encourage high school graduates to take up nursing and help meet the need for health workers in various nursing facilities in their respective jurisdictions. You should check with your state or county/city/town to determine the availability of a nursing grant.

Professional Nursing

Nurses with advanced degrees are assets to any nursing facility. They can be expected to provide the leadership and advanced knowledge in the management and operation of various nursing facilities. They are also usually hired to teach their specialties in nursing schools.

Like regular registered nurses, there is a dearth of RNs with advanced degrees to hold management positions in hospitals and nursing facilities, and to serve as faculty in nursing schools. In fact, the lack of registered nurses with advanced studies has been cited by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing as one of the reasons why some nursing schools cannot accommodate more students.

Grants for registered nurses who wish to pursue advance studies in nursing are also supported by both federal and local scholarship bodies precisely in response to a need to produce more nurses with postgraduate degrees. Grants for this purpose are usually reserved for those who have already been pursuing advanced degrees.

If you already have a specific specialty to pursue – critical care, geriatrics, cancer, pediatrics, anesthesia, emergency, public health, etc. – then you can contact the governing association of your chosen specialty:

American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. A grant applicant must be certified registered nurse anesthetist or CRNA and a member of the AANA to qualify.

American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. The AANP offers special grants, usually in research, to nurse practitioners.

American Association of Critical Care Nurses. This is another exclusive members-only grant in the amount of $1500 for undergraduate and graduate nurses specializing in critical care.

Emergency Nurses Foundation Association. This is a scholarship for practicing emergency room nurses nationwide. The amount of the award varies according to funds provided by sponsors during an academic year. It’s open to undergraduate and postgraduate studies.

Gerontological Society of America. This association offers educational grants from $250 for a research-based article to $10,000 for a comprehensive research on the subject aging.

In the light of the nursing shortage that’s slowly evolving into another crisis if not addressed properly, finding funding sources to finance your nursing education is not exactly like looking for a needle in a haystack. Well, if you know where to look. The following tips might help:

1. Conscientiously fill up your FAFSA

2. Regularly research possible sources of nursing grants and trim them down accordingly.
Grants and scholarships become available throughout the year. You can start by discussing your options with your school’s career center or doing online research.

3. Expand your nursing scholarship eligibility and expand your network.
School activities and community involvement efforts can play an important role in your search for nursing scholarships. These activities demonstrate your well-rounded background which you can highlight in your essay. You can also meet important contacts, like teachers, parents, and even fellow, who may have some tips for you.

4. Write an exceptional grant application essay.
If you have extracurricular activities at school and have community involvement, this should not be a difficult task. You should likewise, indicate in your essay why you deserved to be awarded the scholarship. If your family is financially, say so and explain why. Take note of the following essay writing tips:

5. Attend internships and other training opportunities in the field of nursing whenever possible.
Internship, whether paid or unpaid, can help you better understand the nursing profession. Your internship experience helps when it’s time for you to apply for a nursing grant.

More Demand Coming

With an increasing and aging population, sedimentary lifestyle, pollution, climate change, stress, unhealthy food intake, smoking, alcohol, obesity, and other health threats, the need for health workers, especially nurses, are not about to wane in the short term.

This is why more nurses are needed to take care of the elderly and the sick in our society. According to a report by the Nursing Institute of the University of Illinois College of Nursing, it sees a future of limited access to health care unless more students train to become nurses.

If you want a career whose demand will not wane in many years to come, then pursue a career in nursing. There are grants available for you, if you just look around you.

Tags: Nursing Grants, Nursing School Grants
Posted in Federal Grants, Single Mother Grants, Women Grants | No Comments »

Grants for Women Going Back to School

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

It may be true, as a wise man once said that the world makes way for the man who knows where he is going. But did you know that for a woman who knows where she is going – especially if it’s back to school – the world finds a way.

Sociologists and economists, as well as family life experts, have noted that when a woman goes back to school – and especially if that woman is a wife and/or mother – she improves not only her life, but that of her family as well.

While definitely men who have more advanced education generally have better opportunities for employment, and are thus able to provide for a comparatively higher standard of living for their family, studies on gender differences with regard to educational attainment and outcomes tend to indicate that women who go back to school fare just as well, if not better.

The reason seems to be that women tend to want to go back to school because they want to start or advance in a career, earn better and give themselves and their families a brighter future. And because of a prevailing notion that it’s generally harder for women to get an education, the woman who does go back to school tends to be more determined not just to find a way to go back to school, but to stay in school.

And that’s why so many ways have been found to encourage more women to make the move back to school, and to help her stay the course until she graduates.

Making the Move to College

We’re talking here, of course, of going back to school from the perspective of an interrupted educational path, or as a simpler way of putting it, having taken time off after graduation from high school before moving on to college.

The number of American students who belong to this group is growing. U.S. Department of Education statistics showed that since 10 years ago 75% of American college students have been in the category known as “nontraditional.” This is defined as students who are older (above 25 years); took a break after secondary school or obtained a GED or some other non-traditional high school diploma; were married and/or had children; or worked full-time and attended school part-time.

The more interesting numbers, though, are those on women. Majority (around 60%) of college students older than 29 years were women. The figures further reveal that over a 30-year period (1970-2000), the women in undergraduate programs in the United States went from being a minority (42%) to a majority (56%). More and more women, it seems, dream of more than just a high school education – and appreciating the value of a dream realized, are determined to find the means to achieve it and hold fast with the will to see it through.

If you are such a woman, who has even just considered the idea of getting back into the student ranks, hitting the books and doing homework along with home chores, it helps to know that there are organizations and individuals who are willing to support you in this quest.

Deterrents

If you’re convinced in the idea of going back to school despite your very busy schedule as wife and mom, then the usual baggage that goes with making a decision to realign your priorities becomes lighter and less formidable. Everything else, from the care of the kids to funding your education, becomes more manageable for you and your family.

The cost of going back to college will no longer be the same as when you graduated from high school and decided to start a family instead of pursuing a degree. It will definitely be higher and costlier, and both you and your spouse are certainly not inclined to use your family budget to spend for education. If at all, you worry more about the education of your children.

It’s a good idea to engage in some research and some pencil pushing just so you’ll how much it would cost to pursue your dream. While going to college is not a cheap undertaking, it’s not as expensive as some people make them to be. An expense of $50,000 per year is true, to some extent, but it’s not the general rule. From a list of over 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States, not even 10 per cent of them charge that much.

Recent estimates place the annual average cost in public colleges and universities at $6000 to $7000, while private colleges and universities charge from $20000 to $50000 a year, depending on the private school and your course. But this is certainly not to say that $7000 is not a lot of money because it is. If you or your husband can’t afford it yet, there are hundreds of academic grants available not just to high school graduates and regular students, but also to nontraditional students like you.

You can ask for information from the financial aid office of the college of your choice, or you can check the website of the American Council of Education (ACE). There’s no shame in asking. A great majority of students, 70 percent according to a recent figure, seek financial assistance for college education.

Given this competition and considering your situation, you need to plan your moves ahead of time, like a head start of at least six months, not just for application purposes but to prepare yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally for the arduous tasks ahead. Yes, it’s arduous and you need the support and understanding of your family to succeed in your new endeavor.

FAFSA Application

Regardless of your source of grant, you will need to allot time to prepare and submit your FAFSA, an application form prepared by the U.S. Department of Education for purposes of determining your eligibility for financial assistance and the types of aid you can avail of.

As long as you’re a U.S. citizen or a permanent U.S. resident, then you’re qualified to receive some form of financial assistance. If you want to receive a bigger grant, then you need to demonstrate your need for financial assistance using your family’s income statement and other proofs of neediness. A FAFSA examiner can readily estimate how much you can contribute to your college education within three weeks from your date of FAFSA submission, so it’s imperative that you submit your FAFSA form at the earliest time possible.

If you submit your application too close to the deadline, then some of the juicier grants may no longer be available for you, or you lose your chance to make an appeal in case your FAFSA examiner allots you an amount not enough to meet your financial needs for college.

Federal Pell Grants

One of the favorable grants you can receive through FAFSA is the Federal Pell Grants, an all-expense college grant based on your financial need. The Federal Pell Grant is considered one the juiciest, if not the juiciest, and most sought after non-merit based grants available from the federal government.

If you’re a housewife, and you can show proofs that your husband does not earn enough to support your education, mention it right in the beginning paragraph of your college essay to draw the attention of readers. Make the most of your story to convince your readers that you deserve to win a grant.

When applying for Pell Grants and other federally-funded grants, bear in mind that you’re up against other regular students applying for the same student aid. While it’s perfectly alright to take your chances to aspire for regular federal student assistance, it’s also a good idea to consider other options where competition is less fierce, specifically grants designed for women.

Some of them are the following:

Philanthropic Educational Organization. This grant-giving body gives both merit and need based grants and loans to women of your circumstances, specifically those whose college education was interrupted.

Talbot Scholarship Foundation. This foundation is even more specific, offering grants to women returning to college to complete some unfinished college units.

Emerge Scholarship Fund. This is a merit-based grant for women who have contributed some service to her community and want to resume their college education.

AARP Foundation. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to serving older women – 40 years and above – to pursue a college degree or technical/vocational education. It gives priority to women with low-paying jobs or were out of jobs for at least five years.

Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund. This scholarship fund is for low-income women 35 and above, who wish to pursue a degree or vocational/technical training.

It’s never too late for women interrupted by family concerns and cash shortage to pursue their dream of a college education and improve their chances for a better life. Grant or “goodwill” money from the government, well-meaning individuals, and educational foundations is available to help them continue to pursue and achieve a stronger sense of purpose for her family and the community at large, while finding a whole new world for them to control and command to help improve the rest of humanity.

Tags: Grants for Women Going Back to School
Posted in Federal Grants, Single Mother Grants, Uncategorized, Women Grants | No Comments »

Microsoft Scholarship Opens Door to Boundless Opportunities

Saturday, February 4th, 2012

The Microsoft Corporation is known worldwide for its pioneering and cutting-edge advances in the field of information technology (IT).

People whose employment history includes having worked at Microsoft or are known to have trained in any of the local Microsoft facilities have a definite advantage in terms of employment opportunities in most I.T.-related organizations in the United States and around the world.

Now imagine if you had been chosen by Microsoft to become one of its scholars or been selected to join one of its summer internship programs?

Every year, hundreds of people get this opportunity through the Microsoft Scholarship Program, whose objective is to encourage and support young men and women who aspire to pursue post-secondary education in computer science and other related technical courses.

The scholarship grants from Microsoft Corporation are available to students in the United States and its neighbors Canada and Mexico. A student must demonstrate a strong liking for technology and exhibit academic excellence to avail of this scholarship program. There are four distinct types of scholarships offered: General scholarships, women’s scholarship, minority scholarships, and others for students with disabilities.

Microsoft scholars are entitled to receive a full or partial scholarship to cover the cost of tuition for the academic year. At the end of your course, you’re given also priority, although not automatic entitlement, for a paid summer internship which you must apply for. The internship program is conducted at the Microsoft Corporation headquarters in Washington and serves as an invaluable credential for those who finished the training.

Eligibility

Aside from being an equal opportunity employer, Microsoft goes extra lengths to encourage minority and disadvantaged students – women, disabled, Afro-American, Hispanic, or Native Americans – to pursue computer-related and other similar technical degrees.

To qualify, applicants must be enrolled full-time in a bachelor’s degree at a four-year collegiate institution in the United States, Canada, or Mexico at the time of application. Non-citizens of these countries may apply for this scholarship as long as they are enrolled in colleges and universities located in any these countries.

Moreover, applicants need to show proof that they are making good progress in their resolve to acquire an undergraduate degree. A transcript of record should suffice for this purpose. You can send your unofficial transcript of record in the initial stages of your application, but you will be required to its official form later in the application process.

In general, Microsoft bases its choices according to the following criteria:

Eligibility
Worthiness of application
Demonstrated interest in the I.T. industry, specifically software
Leadership qualities
Financial need

As merit-based scholarship, beneficiaries of this program are required to maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average from a high of 4.0, or a 4.0 cumulative grade point average from a possible 5.0. This invariably means that high school, short-term, and graduate students are not entitled to this scholarship program.

How to Apply

As you would for any other scholarship program, you need focus on meeting the eligibility criteria in order to improve your chances of getting a scholarship at Microsoft. Your resume, transcript, answers to the essay questions, and letter of referral should be geared towards making sure that you meet these criteria.

This means that you have to show proofs of eligibility, quality of application, demonstrated interest in the I.T. industry, commitment to leadership, and financial need. You will need to write your name on each page of the documents you submit to ensure that they don’t get lost or mixed up with other applications.

You should include in your resume your email address, name of school with address and phone number, student number, your permanent address and phone number, academic major, and expected graduation date. One look at your resume should already allow Microsoft to determine if you qualify for the program or not. If you indicated political science as your academic major, for example, then you’re already out of the running.

Your facility in the use of the English language is certainly a welcome bonus in writing your essay, but its bearing will not have that much impact if your answers to the following essay questions do not jibe with the program’s eligibility criteria:

Describe how you demonstrate your passion for technology outside the classroom.

Describe the toughest technical problem you’ve worked on, how you addressed the problem, your role in reaching the outcome if it was team-based, and the final outcome.

Describe a situation that demonstrates initiative and your willingness to go above and beyond.

Describe how you are currently funding your college education.

In answering these essay questions, you need to convince Microsoft that you deserve to be in the program more than the other applicants.

Aside from your transcript, you will also need a letter of referral from one of your teachers or an academic adviser. The letter of referral should support your transcript, and vice versa. The endorsement should indicate why he or she thinks you’re the best candidate to receive this scholarship.

Finally, you need to attach a printed copy of the Application Confirmation page, which you acquire during the online application process. If you have more specific questions, you can email scholars@microsoft.com.

All correspondence and inquiries should be addressed to

Microsoft Scholarship Program
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-8303

Internship

If you have been successful in getting a Microsoft scholarship, then your next moves would be to keep your grades up, finish your course, and apply for a Microsoft internship.

As mentioned earlier in this article, internship at the Microsoft head office at Washington is not automatic privilege even if you have been granted a Microsoft scholarship. You need to apply for it and explain in your application essay why you deserve to be included in the internship program.

Microsoft is famous for this salaried internship program, which includes software development, hardware engineering, I.T. and operations, game design, content publishing, and project management.

If you’re armed with a Microsoft scholarship and internship certificate, then you’ve just open for yourself an array of opportunities in an industry with unlimited opportunities for now and the future.

Tags: College Grants for Women and Minorities, grants for college students, Microsoft Scholarship
Posted in Single Mother Grants, Women Grants | No Comments »

Jeanette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Women in disadvantaged situations and with diminished opportunities, but who appreciate the value of higher education and aspire for it, are the target recipients of scholarship awards from the Jeanette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund.

In actual, concrete terms this means low-income women who are 35 years of age and older, who are or aim to be in a post secondary (undergraduate or vocational training) program, and have a vision or appreciation of how education will have a positive impact on their lives and eventually on their families and communities. Through grants that would cover the costs related to the education they aspire for, the Scholarship Fund envisions to provide these women with the fundamental opportunity to begin careers that would help them break out of the cycle of poverty.

The Fund was originally known as the Jeanette Rankin Foundation (JRF), established to honor the name and legacy of the first woman ever elected to the United States Congress. Jeannette Rankin, who represented Montana, was a staunch proponent and defender of women’s rights, especially women’s suffrage, and women and children’s protection laws. During her first term in Congress (1917-1919), the Nineteenth Amendment (the law granting the right to vote to women all over the United States) had not yet been ratified so many women across the country could not vote.

When Rankin died in 1973, she willed part of her estate in Georgia to be used for the support of “mature, unemployed women.” The $16,000 from this estate became the seed money for a foundation put up by her friends, which focused specifically on helping disadvantaged adult women who struggle to surmount obstacles in their desire and determination to return to school or to attain higher education.

Established in 1976, the JRF awarded the first scholarship grant of $500 in 1978. In 2008, the Foundation registered the trade name Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund to reflect its main mission.

To date, JRF has given out over $1.3 million in scholarship assistance to more than 600 women across the United States – all of them in the low-income bracket who have overcome difficulties and challenges to reach their goal. Foundation records reflect that most of the scholars are single mothers juggling work and home responsibilities, yet still planning to find time for school in the hope of achieving a better life for themselves and their families. Some had survived domestic violence, coped with the death of a family member or with a personal disability, overcome alcohol or drug addictions.

Non-discrimination Policy

The Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund has a defined yet broad focus in terms of beneficiary individuals – low-income women over 35 years of age. Other than that, however, the foundation adheres to a non-discrimination policy and makes the scholarship grants available to applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, creed, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation or physical disability.

The Scholarship Fund does set a premium though, on women with qualities that reflect those of the woman whose legacy it honors. JRF scholars over the years have been and are known to be women who demonstrate the “grit factor.” They seek a better life through education, personal development and career growth, and are determined to face and overcome the challenges that stand in the way of this aspiration.

You may be eligible to apply for a JRF scholarship if you are:

Female, at least 35 years of age
U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident
Accepted or enrolled in an ACICS accredited school.
Taking up a technical or technical or vocational education, an associate’s degree, or bachelor’s degree for the first time.
In the low-income economic bracket

Low Income Guidelines

The “low income” eligibility is defined on the basis of the estimated income of your entire household for the coming school year that you will be enrolled. The figures are based on the US Labor Department’s Lower Living Standard and updated annually on November 1st.

You are eligible to apply for a scholarship for school year 2012 if your net household income, based on household size, falls below the maximum levels set as guidelines.

Household Size	Maximum Net Household Income
1	$14,182
2	$23,243
3	$31,900
4	$39,379
5	$46,475
6	$54,347

A unique feature of the Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund is that it takes into account the situation of its grantees – as low-income women, in families or with children they are caring for and attending to while in school. For this reason, the JRF sets limited restrictions on the use of the grant funds, as long as they are related to ensuring the completion of the scholar’s education.

The support therefore, usually about $2,000, may be used for tuition, books and transportation, but it can likewise be applied towards living expenses and utilities, and even child care costs. The aim of the fund support is really to relieve you of some of the financial burden that may not always include school expenses, but may stand in the way of your focus on completing your college or vocational studies.

The Application Process

The application cycle for women hoping to go back to school or begin a college or vocational course in 2012 is now open.

If you think the Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund can help you, you’ll need to work on your application and send in requirements, postmarked by March 1. The Foundation announces the list of selected scholars by July 1.

First off, check if the school you are enrolled in or applying for admission to has regional or ACICS accreditation from any of the following:

Middle States Commission on Higher Education
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools

Once you have confirmed this, complete your application papers, which should include a filled-out application form, which you can download from the JRF website, www.rankinfoundation.org, two letters of recommendation, and an essay. The essay is a crucial factor in the application, and should give an idea of the following factors that the Foundation will also be considering:

Your goals
Your plan for attaining these goals
The challenges you have faced in the past and how you dealt with them
Your current financial situation

When you get to the Jeannette Rankin Foundation website, be sure to click on the video, which will guide you in filling up the application form and completing the other requirements.

For other information or further questions, you may also contact the JRF through email at info@rankinfoundation.org or through phone number, 706-208-1211.

Tags: College Grants for Women over 50
Posted in Women Grants | No Comments »

AARP Foundation Provides Livelihood Anchors for Women

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Women over 50 who see education as a sure path to career growth and improved financial security, but are hampered precisely by financial limitations, may find a way out of this problem through the AARP Foundation Women’s Scholarship Program.

The Women’s Scholarship Program was launched by the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) Foundation in 2007 to help expand the opportunities for financially challenged women 50 years and older by providing funds for their education, training and skills upgrading and development.

Since its launching, the AARP Foundation has awarded no less than 800 scholarships to eligible women, enabling them to pursue the educational programs which they could not otherwise afford with their limited, if not total lack, of financial resources to help them acquire livelihood skills.

The Scholarship Program fully reflects the general mission of the AARP Foundation, which is to provide low-income Americans aged 50+ with greater access to opportunities that would enable them to continue serving as anchors and productive members of their families and communities.

It is focused on a specialized and specific sector, what the AARP deems a marginalized and disadvantaged group. It begins by identifying the women who are most vulnerable to the risk of poverty as they advance in age, and make funds and other resources available for their education and skills training, to hopefully ensure for them a more financially secure retirement.

The scholarship program, managed by the AARP Foundation with generous support from the AARP and Wal-Mart Foundation and AARP, offers grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 depending on financial need, and the cost of the course pursued. For school year 2011, almost $500,000 in educational grants were given out to more than 300 women across the country.

The scholarship may be used to cover the cost of any post secondary educational or skills training course at an accredited private or public institution, including a four-year university, a community college or a technical school. The grant funds will be disbursed directly to the educational institution, and may be applied towards tuition, other school fees and books.

Eligibility Criteria

All scholarship applicants are screened and chosen by a selection committee, established by but independent of the AARP Foundation.

To be eligible to apply for a scholarship grant from the AARP Foundation for the coming school year, you would need to meet the following general criteria:

A woman, age 50+ by March 30, 2012
Low-income. The Program defines this as being at 150% of the Federal Povery Guidelines or less, taking into account income and family size.
Pursuing or aiming for a bachelor’s degree or an associate’s degree, or technical/ vocational education
Enrolled in an accredited school in the U.S. or a technical program within six months of receipt of the scholarship
A scholarship recipient reapplying for a second year of assistance

Your application gets higher priority if you further fall into any one of the categories:

Raising the children of another family member
In a low-paying job with no career options and retirement benefits and/or health insurance
Unemployed for over a year
Women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces

The selection committee will also be looking into the additional factors in relation to your application. You may need to explain or demonstrate the basis of your financial need. They will want to know about your personal circumstances and your achievements, as well as your educational and career goals. The program implementers may also want to know about the challenges you have faced in life and what you consider would be the impact of your education, specifically your course track, on your life and that of your families and communities.

How to Apply

If your aiming to start a post secondary track or to return to school and pursue an undergraduate or vocational course for the 2012 academic year, take note of these dates:

February 1, 2012 : Application period opens at 9 a.m. CST
March 30, 2012 : End of application period at 5 p.m. CST
June 2012 : Successful applicants are notified of the awards through email
August 2012 : Scholarship grants are ready for disbursement to institutions
December 2012 : Deadline to be enrolled in an accredited institution.

To find out whether the institution you plan to enroll in is a U.S. Department of Education-accredited school, you should consult your school’s enrollment or financial-aid office or go directly to the online database of accredited post-secondary institutions and programs of the Department of Education.

To get a copy of the application form or more information about the Scholarship Program, you should check out the AARP Foundation website, www.aarp.org.

Mentoring Program

A unique feature of the AARP Foundation Women’s Scholarship Program is a mentoring program, which recognizes and addresses the reality that adult women who have been out of school for quite a length of time may experience some difficulty in their re-entry into the educational system. Such tasks as registering for a semester, choosing classes and working out a schedule may be challenging. This could be compounded by their being unaware or unfamiliar with the latest technologies adapted for the academe, as well as other institutional resources available to students.

To address this situation, the AARP Foundation Women’s Scholarship Program offers a mentoring program where trained retention professionals are available to help the women scholars in the following tasks:

Career planning
Setting academic and career goals
Improving study skills
Working through home-office-school time-management issues
Gaining computer access
Building and enhancing confidence
Providing effective and sustained guidance and encouragement ensure positive academic results

The mentors work with the women scholars towards achieving these goals, through telephone and online mentoring, as well as face to face meetings, to ensure that the personal goals of the women awardees, as well as the goals of the Scholarship Program are achieved and truly redound to the benefit of the women’s families and their communities.

Tags: College Grants for Women, free grants for college, grants for college students
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College Grants for Women over 50

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

Nowadays, a high number of elderly women is interested in pursuing higher education for various personal reasons. A very important motive for this would be that old and outdated traditions are gone, so job opportunities in fields of expertise that were customarily reserved for men are now available to women also. Another reason would be to increase their chances of getting a more desirable job which would in turn offer a better position and higher pay.

Still, most of the women who want to finish their education do so because they feel they can achieve something that they couldn’t in the past because of family or income issues. No matter what the reason behind this decision, getting a college degree can also be a great personal accomplishment and self- esteem boost. As such , if you are searching for financial aid in the form of college grants for women over 50 then here are some available options you might want to find more about.

AARP Foundation Women’s Grants Program

The AARP scholarship program was founded in 22007,and its main purpose is to offer a new chance to elderly women by providing them with financial incentives to help in pursuing a higher education and ultimately change their life for the better. In the last 4 yyears,this scholarship program has lent financial aid to more than 500 senior citizens over forty years of age. Its main target is elderly women who need more spare time away from their jobs to cater for the needs of their families and by doing this reducing their income significantly.

For applicants to be eligible they must meet the following requirements:

female over 40 years with a low income
attending an education institution in the United States six months before the grant award
desire to pursue a bachelor or associate degree
past recipients may also apply a second time

Winners will be selected by a committee assembled by the Foundation that will also judge applicants based on the following:

low income and no future pension or health insurance
having to raise a child with other members of the family
lack of a job for over 5 years
unfortunate life events
career intents

The money can be used at any accredited education institution in the United States and will be issued directly to it by the Foundation to cover for learning material and tuition. For more information visit the AARP website at www.aarp.org.

Newcombe Scholarships for Mature Women

The Newcombe Foundation is a great source of college grants for women over 50. Since it was founded in 1981, it has helped more than 500 students with tuition money ranging around the sum of 2,300$ each. The main goal of the Foundation is to offer a free financial incentive to elderly women who rely on a low-income and are discouraged by the fact that most of the money for tuition fees now comes from various loan programs, which are normally left out of consideration from the start because of family and other expenses.

However, the Newcombe grant is awarded only to women past the age of 25 and that attained 60 or more credits for their bachelor’s degree, this being done with the purpose to encourage students to finish their studies. The money is sent directly to the preselected education institutions which are then responsible for the selection process of students to benefit from the financial support.

This scholarship is mainly based on merit, gender and age. Applicants must show good academic results ( a minimum of 3.0 GPA ) and priority is given to the ones already working part-time or full-time. A complete list of the institutions where students can benefit from the Newcombe Scholarship program can be found on their website at www.www.newcombefoundation.org.

The Jeannette Rankin Women Scholarship Fund

College grants for women over 50 are not easy to find but luckily, there are foundations like the Jeannette Rankin Women Scholarship Fund that can help any elderly woman finish her education and pursue a better career which in turn would bring many personal benefits as well as family and community ones.

Jeannette Rankin was the first woman to be elected in the United States Congress, and her life-long career and achievements make her an exceptional role-model for anyone. The Foundation named after her was created in 1978 and has since helped more than 520 mature women from the United States with the necessary funds for attaining the college.

All applicants for the Jeannette Rankin scholarship must pass the following eligibility requirements :

must be female and over the age of 35
must have U.S. citizenship
must be admitted or already attending an education institution accredited by the Council of Independent Colleges and Schools
( ACICS )
must pursue education in a technical or vocational field or an associate/first bachelor degree
must benefit from a low-income

During the student selection process for the Jeannette Rankin scholarship the following criteria will also be taken into account :

personal goals of the applicant
personal methods and plans for achieving the goals set
unfortunate life events and hardships that the applicant faced
past and present financial struggles

All those interested should first check with the financial support or enrollment office of their education institution to be sure that the school is accredited by the Council of Independent Colleges and Schools ( ACICS ). A complete list of accepted accreditation can be found on the JRF website at www.rankinfoundation.org. Also, the JR Foundation is against any student discrimination so the applicant’s creed, marital status, color, sexual orientation, race, religion, ancestry or physical disability will not be taken into account as part of the selection process.

For applicants to be found eligible when considering their financial needs, the Max Household Income must not surpass the figures below:

Household Size Income

1 13,959 $

2 22,876 $

3 31,398 $

4 38,758 $

5 45,742 $

6 53,490 $

Household Size	Income
1	13,959 $
2	22,876 $
3	31,398 $
4	38,758 $
5	45,742 $
6	53,490 $

Tags: College Grants for Women over 50
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